Neighborhood Chatter

LAPPIN DEMANDS RETURN OF TRASH CANS A month ago, the MTA brought a pilot program intended to curb trash and litter in the subway to the East 57th Street F station. The program, which removed trash cans at eight stations around the city in an effort to reduce the frequency of refuse pick-ups and deter the rodent population, is supposed to last for six months, but Council Member Jessica Lappin is demanding the trash cans returned to the Upper East Side spot. Armed with the results of a constituent survey, Lappin insists that one month is enough time to tell that the program isn't working. "As you might expect, taking away the trash cans doesn't mean people magically stop producing garbage," said Lappin in a statement. The survey, to which 218 people responded, found that 66 percent of subway riders said they've noticed more trash at the F station in the past month, and that 93 percent of people just don't like the plan. EAST SIDE TOWN HALL Upper East Siders are invited to schmooze with their elected officials and get the chance to air their grievances and share their ideas at a town hall meeting next Tuesday. The meeting is sponsored by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer along with U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velázquez, state Sens. Tom Duane, Liz Krueger, Jose Serrano and Daniel Squadron, Assembly Members Richard Gottfried, Brian Kavanagh, Micah Kellner, Dan Quart and Sheldon Silver, and Council Members Margaret Chin, Dan Garodnick, Jessica Lappin and Rosie Mendez, as well as Community Boards 3, 5, 6 and 8. Representatives from government agencies will also be attending. Tuesday, Oct. 23, 6 to 8 p.m. Lighthouse International, 111 E. 59th St. RSVP by calling 212-669-4451 or email RSVP@manhattanbp.org. OLD U.E.S. DRUGSTORE OPEN FOR NEW RETAIL The former home of Lascoff Drugs, 1209 Lexington Ave., is on the market. The owners closed the iconic store, which has been operating since 1899, this past July, deciding to retire and sell the building. Winick Realty Group is marketing the space, which has 1,600 square feet on the main floor and 600 feet each in the mezzanine and basement. It's available for $36,000 a month, which they note is a substantial discount when compared to rents around the corner on East 86th Street, where storefronts are going for $500 a square foot. The building boasts cathedral-style 20-foot ceilings, 20-foot arched windows, 115 feet of frontage and the ability to co-opt the giant, iconic blade sign out front for a new display. The marketing agents emphasized that the space could work for restaurants or for high-end apparel or cosmetics.